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Terrans called this spiral shaped star island the Milky Way Galaxy, The Saresii called it Nsorothee and like everything Saresii it sounded refined and melodical but literally translated it meant Giants Sneeze. Every starfaring civilization had their own way to describe this incredibly beautiful spiral wheel. Stars were born and stars died. Black holes slowly rotated through it all, devouring energy and matter alike. It was a seemingly eternal process an yet there was a beginning and an end to everything. In cosmic terms this was a young Universe and this Galaxy had only completed about sixty rotations. For most living beings it was simply impossible to really comprehend the time of just one such rotation. 225 Million Years was simply a number, something abstract and beyond any understanding. Compared to that what significance were the 3000 years the Union existed? The Uni and the Pree rose and disappeared within one single rotation. The Saresii and the Seeinans clashed with the Dark Ones just about a Million years ago. Such time spans meant little to the beings in the shiny cone shape spaceship. They measured time in days and hours and the muscular, dashingly dressed ship master was not concerned with galactic time spans, he was more concerned about the here and now, in just twelve days they would enter what the Kermac called secure space of the Galactic Council Right now however they had come further across the Star isle than ever before and space none of his kind has ever entered. His ship was the pride of the Xandrao Empire , bristling with weapons and crewed with the finest and best and there should be no reason for concern, but he was a seasoned Shipmaster and he felt that insubstantial, unexplainable tingling down his spine that told him something was not as it should be. He paced nervously behind the row of twelve scanner and sensor operators. Each was a highly trained individual from the Royal Academy. Behind them sat the co-relator who typed the Sensor reports into the Situation Calculator. It was a very demanding position and required much concentration. With a sigh he noticed Prince Albra come onto the Command Center. The prince was a favorite of the Emperor and thus it was him who was sent on this perhaps most important mission in Xandrao history. The prince was no fool and quite intelligent, despite the centuries of inbreeding among the noble houses and approached Noldra Dorrx the ships head master. Compared to the gold and silver glitter ladden uniform of the prince the ship masters red and gold trimmed uniform appeared quite plain and subdued. Albra masterfully swirled his cape and in a theatrical gesture and said with his high tenor voice. “I missed you at the table and had to entertain the Kermac envoy all on my own.” The Shipmaster bowed but not even then took his eyes from the read out of the Threat and Situation Calculator and said. “My presence would have not been noticed with you in the room. All eyes are on you, all ears are on you and all attention is given to you when you are present.” The prince looked down at himself and nodded, “Yes of course and I do look rather dashing tonight if I may say so. The Kermac envy got me this cape. Don't you think it is fabulous?” “It will be the envy of all the Beauty Boys at court no doubt.” Nolbra hoped the prince would get bored and leave the Command Center but instead of him leaving the Kermac Envoy followed by two Dolbarian also decided to come. He didn't like anyone strolling on his Command Center without having business there but there was not much he could do or say. The Kermac was much smaller than him and only was about chest high. Unlike Xandrao he had no fur or hair at all and the Kermac's skin was almost snow white. Nolbra was covered with a coarse short fur form head to his hooved feet and two massive horns produted from his forehead just above his fur covered ears. The Kermac did not even have a tail. Noldra was certain the Kermacs man hood was just a small, there was certainly no room for a Xandrao sized penis underneath that flimsy robe. Everything was small and un impressive about the Kermac, but he knew they were an old species and if you believed what he said the true masters of the entire Galaxy. The Kermac made a sweeping gesture towards the view screen. “Why are we not trans light , what is the meaning of this delay?” Noldra flared his wide nostrils and curled his lips. “We just crossed the void between the spiral arms and it taxed our engines to the limit. We must pause to service them.” The Kermac managed to look down at the much taller Xandrao and said. “I forgot how childish primitive your technology is.” The Prince said. “Yet your ships seem to be unable to reach Xandr and you reached us aboard a Dolbarian ship and from what I have seen they not superior to our technology.” “We are in Freespace, a region where Kermac ships cannot go. I explained that to you. But you soon will see Kermac might and splendor and you will beg to become a serving member like so many.” The Prince was used to speak his mind from birth and so he said. “Then explain to me again why the mighty Kermac cannot travel here. Who would dare to deny you?” The Shipmaster noticed the thinly veiled anger in the Kermac’s face and the clenching fists. “No one!” With these words the Kermac left but the Dolbarians remained. The Prince actually sat down on the Command Seat, technically reserved for Noldra only, but if it kept the Emperors son out of his way it was a good thing. The Shipmaster crossed his massive arms and stared through the view port in the eternal night of interstellar space. As far as Noldra knew, the Kermac were the masters of a huge Star Empire with many member species that served them and in return received the benefit of protection and wise guidance. The Xandrao were themselves conquered and ruled over a mighty twelve star system empire. Their fleet was feared and respected by the Furze, the Dawn and their other Galactic neighbors the Yotenen even conceded a disputed star system to them, but he had seen ships of the Togar and knew how aggressive these cats were and how advanced their technology was. The emperor agreed to send a delegation to Kermac Prime to see if it was all true and then decide if they should indeed join. Just like the Emperor, Noldra as a high ranking member of the military has seen the intelligence reports on the expansionistic Togar and if the reports were correct they ruled over a region of more than sixty star systems and appeared to have technology even more advanced than the Down. The Xandrao would fall if the Togar decided to expand and this was the real reason the Emperor even considered the Kermac proposal. He moved his spoon shaped ears and they twitched just as the ears of his far distant anchestors did to shake of the flies that had troubled his kind for so long it had become a genetic habit and he said to his Engine Maintainer Chief who appeared on a viewer screen. “Don’t give me excuses, tell me when will we be able to resume trans light?” The technician down in the engine room had his horns cut to short nobs as every Xandrao of the working Class was required to do, but he knew about his value and position and said without lowering his head. “I am not making any excuses, Shipmaster. I am informing you that our engines were strained to the very limit and that I recommend we land at a suitable planet so I can exchange the Main Core with the spare we have along.” “Your recommendation is noted and dismissed. Will you be able to service them so we can reach Kermac Prime?” “It is hard to predict, but I assume we should make it.” “I have your Man pieces and make you a field tilling Grox if we don’t. Now tell me how long until we can resume acceleration?” “Three hours.” He cut the transmission knowing that this was actually a very good time, switching injectors and replacing mag shields was a big job and usually took half a day. The Prince had actually fallen asleep and started to snore, one of the pressed cakes of the finest herb infused grass, the prince liked had rolled out of his hand and across the floor. He looked at the Dolbarian, neither of the two small beings had said much in the entire of their visit and now they simply stood there, only their bushy tails twitching. Noldra had to admit he didn’t like the Kermac much and he found these Dolbarians laughable small, but they had fur too and they had tails. Not anything like the thick rope like tails with a brush like ending all Xandrao had. The Dolbran tail was fluffy but it was a tail and to him it was easy to decypher the tail language and knew the two were nervous. So he decided to ask and said. “Why are you nervous? “ “We arrived in Freespace, big Shipmaster.” Said one of them pointing the displayed Navigation Chart, “ If we read your Charts right we are in a region called the Devils Playground.” “Your masters have not really explained what this Freespace is and why is this called the Devil’s Playground?” The Dolbran looked surprised. “You do not know about the Big Four and Freespace?” The other Dolbran said. “You Nift, they are from Downward and there is little contact. We are not supposed to tell them about the Big Four or the Union.” “You are the Nift, you just did!” snapped the other back. “You are guests on my ship and I can not order you but if you know anything I should know about this region of space then tell me. It is your life too that could be in danger.” One of the Dolbrans looked towards the door and said. “We are lucky that our Kermac Masters are not of the highest order and their Psionics are mediocre at best.” The other spread his arms and said. “This Area is called the Devil's playground because of the pirates.” Noldra started to laugh and then he said. “Pirates? Did you just say Pirates? You Dolbran must be a very meek species indeed. This is the largest most powerful Xandrao ship, we eat Pirates for breakfast .” The two Dolbran looked at each other. “The Xandrao do not know...” Noldra said. “I can understand if you are small like that, Pirates might be frightening, but they do not attack war ships, only helpless merchants.” One of the Dolbran put his small fur covered finger on the map display and said. “Over here are the Karthanians, more advanced than the Togar you fear, but far less numerous. Here are the Nine Shattered Kingdoms of the Ohgr. “ His little paw moved to another spot and moved in a circle that included at least a thousand light years. “Here are the Nul, warriors that make you look smal and advanced enough to make the Kermac and all the Galactic Council very careful.” Again his hand encircled a large area. “This is the space of the Shiss, mortal enemies of the Nul and fighting them for over 3000 years and they are not loosing.” The other Dolbran leanded over the map display and pointed with a small needle sharp claw on a single star. “That is where the Holdians are. Our distant cousins.” Again the other Dolbran scolded the other. “You are the greatest Nift I have ever met. I am trying to tell the ignorant Bovine about the Big Four before our Taskmaster decides to come back and you tell him about the Holdians. They are insignificant.” He chirped something Noldra did not understand and then he used his claw to draw an area that more or less included a quarter of the entire galaxy and then he added a sizeable area of another quadrant and said. “This you ignorant fool is the space the Union controls, it is them the Kermac fear. The Kermac lost two war against them. The Union, the Kermac, the Shiss and the Nul are the Big Four in this part of the Galaxy.” Noldra snorted. “I don't believe you. No Empire could be that big. It would take years to travel , it would be impossible to govern.” The other Dolbran was still pointing at the Holdian home system and had paid little attention. “They are not insignificant, they are Union now.” --””-- Har-Hi the Dai was sitting in the Command Chair of the Tigershark as he had the Conn during the second dog watch. It was another hour to midnight OTT and the end of his shift. The USS Tigershark perhaps the most unusual ship in the Union fleet, with the most diverse crew ever assembled was on her way to a place called Brhama Port. This was an independent mining outpost in a shattered star system and also a notorious pirate port. At the Nav station sat a 12,000 year old Golden who had been the leader of his kind. It was his first time on this posting, Krabbel the Archa spider and Senior Naviation Officer was off duty. An Attikan Marine Officer manned Tactical and over at the Communication Console sat TheOther , a genuine Y'All warrior. The Tigershark had its Janus Mask active and looked like a Katharian Armed Trader and pretended to be the pirate ship Silver Streak. Har-Hi turned a little to face the Engineering Officer, a small squirly furry Holdian and said. “Everything alright with the tractors?” He asked because they were towing a Pirate ship. The little Holdian answered. “Yes Sir, once the mass is in motion it takes very little to keepit going. The material stress and shear forces are well within expected tolerances.” Har-Hi said. “We once towed a full size Hospital ship with a Barracuda destroyer.” The Golden said without taking his eyes of his read outs. “I really want to hear all the adventures you and the Captain had. It seems there weren't many dull moments.” I had stood silently in the back and listened to my friends and crew. I turned to return to my quarters for a few hours of sleep before I was required to be on thew bridge for the forenoon watch when SHIP's voice stopped me. “There is a contact on our outermost sensor horizon. Leaky tachyon emission, inefficient energy conversion, looks like a Tech Level 4 but configuration is unknown.” I changed my direction, my friends had of course noticed me now and Har-Hi got up. “We are not the only ones interested. A Togar signature came just in range, they headed for the Tech 4.” I yawned and sat down in my Command Chair. “Well we are here first and foremost to hunt Pirates.” Sobody rubbed his hands. “And who knows we might be able to add to our treasure. Remember Captain we are also Pirates to the Galaxy.” “Alright, let's check it out. Senior Officers to the bridge but lets not raise alarm before we know we wan tto get involved.” Shea, Krabbel, Mao, Circuit and Hans appeared moments later followed by Elfi and Shaka. Narth appeared right at his Station and scared the Takkian who had manned OPS and Narth immideatley appollogized . “I did not intent to startle you Specialist Joglur.” “I should get used to it by now. Normally we Siliconoids do not scare easily,” Hans said.” Captain, the Togar is an independent raider not officially associated to the Togar Empire. Customized ship details point to the Rough Love of Captain Lepor.” Shea said. “The engine signature is consistent with Scanner records of CID of a reported Pirate.” “And the other ship?” I asked fearing it was another horror ship. Narth shook his head. “I can't detect humans but I sense several Kermac.” He had again answered to my thoughts. Shea responded .”No Union records on this ship type, Captain.” Sobody who had relinquished his station to Krabbel had remained on the bridge and said. “Looks like a Xandrao design and from the size and looks it is one of their biggest.” I smiled and said. “I changed my mind Sobody completley having you along.” He walked to the Observer seat next to Har-Hi and sat down. “You are a female now, changing your mind is a natural thing to females golden and human alike.” “What can you tell us about the Xandrao? Are they a GC Thrall?” “Not to my knowledge, Captain. They are from the downward sector and I believe they immune to most forms of Psionics.” “There are Kermac aboard that ship.” I turned to look at the Nav Tank behind me and said, “It also looks as if they are on course to GC territory,” The Golden said with a surprised face. “How do you ...” I pointed in Narth's dicrection and Sobody smiled. “Of course.” That there were Kermac was enough reason for me. “SHIP, sound General Quarters. Engineering deactivate tractors, we pick Category:Fragments Category:Fragments - Eric Olafson Category:Fragments - Har Hi Category:Fragments - Sobody The Golden Category:Fragments - Narth (Officer) Category:Fragments - Krabbel Category:Fragments - TheOther Category:Fragments - Mao Mao Vouza Category:Fragments - Shea Schwartz Category:Fragments - Shaka Nebele Category:Fragments - Sekhet Nefertiti Elfiatra Category:Fragments - SHIP Category:Fragments - Cirruit